200 



The "Kingston" Cheese. [June, 



and immediately the straws stop the time must be noted. This 

 is the point of coagulation, and the number of seconds elapsing 

 from the time the milk comes in contact with the rennet until 

 the straws stop is taken as the rennet test. We have found 

 that a test of twenty-five seconds is suitable as an average, but 

 the actual test must be decided by individual makers on 

 account of variation in milks and changes of season. 



On no account should the milk be renneted before sufficient 

 acid is present, or the process of manufacture will be 

 lengthened to the detriment of the cheese ; while, on the other 

 hand, if the renneting be delayed after a suitable test has been 

 obtained, a quick over-acid cheese is the result. When the 

 temperature and rennet test are satisfactory, the rennet is 

 added at the rate of one dram to 2J gallons of milk, after 

 having previously diluted it with six times its volume of 

 water to facilitate the mixing with the milk,' the whole is 

 thoroughly stirred for five minutes, and then the surface of 

 the milk gently stirred until the rennet shows effect. If the 

 operation is continued beyond this stage the milk is "over- 

 stirred," with consequent loss of fat and deterioration of 

 quality in the cheese. 



The vat is covered with a lid and the contents left until 

 set or until coagulation is complete : this should be about 

 forty to forty-five minutes from the time the rennet was 

 added. 



When sufficiently firm, a state at which the coagulum 

 should break clean over the finger, cutting takes place. This 

 is accomplished by cutting lengthwise and across with the 

 vertical knife, and lengthwise with the horizontal knife, thus 

 leaving the sections of curd about half an inch by a quarter 

 of an inch. The operation must be most carefully carried out, 

 as an even cutting enables the maker to scald evenly, and also 

 assists considerably in a uniform expulsion of the whey. If 

 an acidimeter be used the acid test at this stage should be 

 •12 to '13 per cent. The advantages of including this 

 apparatus, which is inexpensive, in the fitting up of a dairy 

 are many, and the writers will be very glad to supply to any 

 reader on application full information relating to its uses. 

 After cutting, the curd remaining on the bottom and sides of 

 the vat is loosened, and the whole gently stirred for ten to- 



